Means for drawing and holding wounds



Aug. 7, 1934. w 1,969,188

MEANS FOR DRAWING AND HOLDING WOUNDS Filed Oct. 21. 1932 /8 Q5 A @G'I Patented Aug. 7, 1934 eans FOR DRAWING AND HOLDING Womms George W. Spicer, Norwalk, Conn. Application October 21, 1932, Serial No. 638,867 zcl'aims. '(Cl. 128-335) This invention relates to new and useful improvements in surgical appliances, and has particular relation to a means for drawing and holding wounds.

An object of the invention is to provide a means for drawing and holding wounds closed, and which may be easily and quickly applied and does not require stitches and is therefore painless and leaves a minimum scar, and which will effectively hold a wound closed without applying a constant pressure to it.

Another object is to provide a means as stated and'which leaves the wound exposed to the air and uncovered for inspection.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing wherein a satisfactory embodiment of the invention is shown. However, 20 it will be understood that the invention is not limited to the details disclosed but includes all such variations and modifications as fall within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a view showing in plan a series of devices constructed in accordance with the present invention in place holding a wound closed;

Fig. 2 is a somewhat similar view showing the method of applying. the devices;

Fig. 3 is a view taken at right angles to Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of one of the devices alone; and

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view through the device of Fig. 4.

Referring in detail to the drawing, at is shown a portion of a body having a wound 11 therein. The device as shown in Figures 4 and 5 includes a pair of spaced strips or tabs 12 and 13 connected by stout threads 14 secured thereto in any suitable manner, as for example bylooping through openings 15 in the tabs and then being tied or knotted as at 16. On its under side each 46 tab is coated with adhesive as at 17. In fact the tabs may be formed of adhesive tape and their outer end portions turned inwardly against the underside of the strip or a piece of' paper or uncoated tape applied to provide finger grips 18 whereby the device may be applied without the tabs adhering to the fingers. If preferred, the tabs may be made up with their outer end portions free of adhesive. and it will not then be necessary to fold such end portions.inwardly. However, the inwardly folded end portions provide thickened portions whereby a better grip may be obtained, and they are easily made.

The use of the device may at first best be ex plained in connection with Figures-2 and 3. As indicated in these figures, a tab 12a of one device is applied to the flesh or skin at one side of the wound 11 and adheres thereto. A tab 134: of another device is applied in a like manner but at the opposite side of the wound 11. Next the tabs 13b of the first device and 12b of the second device are grasped between thethumb and index finger substantially as shown and are pulled in opposite directions. Since the tabs 12a and 13a adhere to the body at each side of the wound, this pulling action will serve to draw the sides of the wound toward one another from the condition of Fig. 3 to that of Fig. 2. The tabs 12b and 13b may now be pressed down against the fiesh or downwardly onto the tabs 12a and 13a so that the tabs 12b and 13b are secured in position with the wound closed.

The threads 14 are not elastic and therefore the wound may be drawn closed and held in that condition under a definite and known pressure. Were the threads elastic there would be no way of telling the exact pressure under which the sides of the wound were being forced against one another and after the wound was closed the threads, if elastic, would continue to exert a pressure since they would be tensioned. With the present de-. vice employing non-elastic threads between the tapes the wound is simply drawn closed to the desired condition and held in that condition.

In use any required number of thesedevices may be employed depending on the shape and sizeof the wound. In closing the wound in Figure 1, five of the devices have been used, and it will be noted that in the upper portion of this figure the devices are arranged side by side with the connecting threads 14 of one device parallel with those of the other device. The intermediate device in this figure is shown arranged at an angle, and it will, of course, be understood that the devices may also be so arranged that their threads cross one another as shown in the lower portion of Figure 1. In other words, the devices are so arranged that the pull may be in any desired direction to locate the sides of a wound in any desired position.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that with the device of'the present invention a wound may be drawn and held closed without subjecting an injured person to the pain incident to the taking of stitches. Moreover,

after the wound is healed there are no stitches to be taken out. While the devices are in place the wound is not covered but is always exposed to the air and can be inspected without removing the tape or tabs. As there are no stitches, the resulting scar is reduced to a minimum. Also as there are no buttons or other elements pro- .iecting above the tabs. after the wound has been closed, it can be bandaged in the usual manner without any discomfort or injury to the patient. No stitching or lacing of any kind is required over or across the wound.

Having thus set forth the nature of. my invention, what I claim is:

1. In a device for closing wounds two'piece's of tape provided with an adhesive on their under surfaces, a non-elastic thread connection extending between adjacent end portions of said pieces and connecting them in spaced relation, and each of said pieces having the surfaces of their other end portions free of adhesive to form finger grips whereby when one of said pieces is applied to the skin at one side of a wound it may be drawn toward the wound to close it before the other piece is applied to the skin on the opposite side of the wound.- v

2. A method of closing a wound comprising providing two pairs of pieces of tape provided with adhesive on their under surfaces with the pieces of each pair connected at their adjacent ends by a non-elastic thread area provided with finger grips at their opposite ends, applying one of the pieces of each pair to the skin at opposite sides of the wound with the thread connections extending across over the wound, then pulling on the other pieces in opposite directions to draw the opposite sides of the wound toward each other, and then applying these latter pieces to the skin on opposite sides of the wound from the first pieces of the respective pairs to hold the sides 01 the wound in this position.

GEORGE W. SPICER. 

